Belated.

Happy Belated Birthday to my dear friend, Jacquie! We met in Germany and now she lives in Japan. We miss you!

Botanical Gardens

Like I said...I am playing catch up...
April 18th: We had a gorgeous Spring day so Erin and I took the kids to the Children's World of Wonder at the Botanical Gardens in Norfolk. It was a super fun afternoon and the kids had a blast running around the gardens and splashing in the sprinklers. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and let the kids play in the sun. Thanks for a fun afternoon Erin, Jack and Sylvia!

Enjoying the Outside....

...with our new patio set!!

Lily at 3 Years

Needless to say, I am a little behind with blogging. I will be putting up many new posts this week, including slideshows and videos so be sure to keep stopping by!

Here are the pictures of Lily actual birthday. We had a really special morning so I wanted to share the pictures and some video. I also wanted share my usual milestone statistics.

April 19th: Lily woke up to a table full of presents from Mommy, Daddy and Emma. She was so excited to tear into them. She was especially excited with her new fish, whom she promptly named Dorothy (also the name of Elmo's pet fish). She opened the remainder of her presents and then we went to IHOP for a special birthday breakfast to celebrate. She had chocolate chip pancakes with a banana smiley face. We had so much fun enjoying a breakfast out as a family. After breakfast we did some shopping and then came home to spend the day playing outside and getting ready for the Parenteau's to arrive. It was a wonderful day with our sweet little girl.

Here are some stats of Lily at 3 years:

Is 37 inches tall and weighs 30 pounds

Loves sports, tools, rocks and sticks, but also loves princess stuff

Loves to be outside

Is a complete Daddy's girl

Wears 3T and 4T, size 8 shoes

Is completely potty trained (even at night)

Her favorite meal is Tacos, but pancakes are a close second

Eats and enjoys a wide variety of foods

Constantly is getting into some kind of battle with Emma

Attends preschool 2 days a week from 9:30 to 1:00 and LOVES it

Knows her alphabet, colors, numbers, shapes, days of the week, months and much more

Loves to wear jewelry and her new jewelry box from Kelly

Loves to jump, run, hike...anything where she can be active

Naps are VERY hit or miss

Goes to bed between 7:30 and 8, wakes between 7 and 7:30

Some of her friends include Jack, Caleigh, Van, Maci and Alexandra

She adores her babysitter Michelle (and so do I)

Is very polite and likes to help others

Is EXTREMELY social and says hello to anyone and everyone when we are out in public

Can't get enough of arts and crafts time and can color and do activity books for hours

Still loves Dora, Sesame Street and The Wiggles!

Loves music, especially singing songs

Has turned into a complete cuddle bug

Can draw pictures, including stick men and the sun

Loves sidewalk chalk

Is afraid of bugs

Can't get enough of books, her favorites right now: Pinkalicious, Shiver Me Letters, Dora Saves Mermaid Kingdom and Alice the Fairy

LOVES chocolate

Can get dressed, wash her hands and brush her teeth by herself

Loves to pick flowers for Mommy

Says I love you to Mommy and Daddy several times a day (which melts our hearts)

We love you so much Lilybug!! Happy Birthday!!

Birthday Videos

Be sure to pause the music on the right...enjoy!

Gas Savings.

Just enter your zip code in the site below, and it tells you which gas stations have the cheapest prices (and the highest) on gas in your zip code area. It's updated every evening. Just click on the link. You will see a map of your area and then scroll down and you will get a listing of gas prices in your area with addresses and brands starting with the cheapest and going up.

Click HERE for the link!

Lily's 3rd Birthday Party

Our first born turned three yesterday so we celebrated today with a big outdoor birthday party at Redwing Park. The weather was horrible all day with rain, wind and lightning. However, at 4:00 p.m. the clouds parted and the sky was clear. We were thrilled, as we really had no "plan B" for 13 kids. The afternoon was a blast...burgers, dogs, pasta and fruit salad, chips and cake. The kids enjoyed the playground and played football in the field. It only rained for a few minutes while we were eating (thank goodness for the shelter). Lily was over the moon with excitement. She was so happy to have all her friends and even some family with her to celebrate her special day. It was a perfect afternoon...thanks to Cindy and Josh for all the extra help!!
Here are our favorite memories of the day:

• Having Josh, Cindy, Trevor, Breanna and Lucas here to celebrate with us
• Lily getting SO excited about her cards
• Jeff and Josh decorating the kids picnic tables with pink tablecloths
• Josh being the grill master
• Watching my girls have a blast with all their loved ones
• Cindy taking all the beautiful pictures while we enjoyed the day
• Lily swinging high on the big girl swing with Michelle
• Watching all the kids play football
• The beautiful little mermaid cake that all the kids were so excited to eat
• Emma taking 12 unassisted steps on the field
• The weather clearing up so we could party
• A huge playground for all the kids to run and play on
• Seeing Lily's face when everyone sung happy birthday to her
• Being outside for the party and NO clean up at home

Three.

Happy 3rd Birthday to our beautiful little girl! We love you so much Lily!!

Thanks for making me a Mom and being the best kiddo.

Lots of pictures and stats after her party tomorrow.

Fun with Grampie

Pool anyone?

Look Who's Walking...

at 10.5 months!!!



Emma's first steps.
She just started taking 3 or 4 at a time. She is trying so hard to keep up with her big sister. Can't believe how quickly our girls are growing up!

Be sure to pause the music on the right. You can also hear Em saying a new word..."ball".

First Time at the Dentist

Lily did such a great job at her first dentist appt. with Dr. Simms. What a beautiful smile!

A Quick Trip to Northern Maine

April 3rd-9th
We decided a few weeks ago to make a quick trip home to Northern Maine to see my side of the family and help my sister get moved into her new place. It was a wonderful visit with lots of family time. It was especially nice for the girls, as Maine is still COVERED in snow. They were able to make a snowman, slide on sleds, make snow angels and have a snow ball fight all in the month of April. Caribou (my home town) has received 198 inches of snow this Winter. They officially broke the largest snow fall record ever recorded. It was set at 186 inches in the early part of last century. As you can see by many of the pictures, the snow is higher than mailboxes, trees, even as high as a basketball hoop. It was quite a sight to see.

Also during our visit my mother and step-father hosted an early birthday party for Lily and Emma. All my cousins and their children came to share the afternoon with us. They went all out....party hats, decorations, pizza, cake, games, presents and even goody bags. The girls LOVED all the special attention. It was truly a special day to share, as we live so far away and rarely celebrate birthdays with our families. Thanks Mom and Barry for making the girls feel so loved!

Lastly, congratulations and welcome home to my sister, April. She has a wonderful new place to call home. We had a blast spending the long weekend with you and Cailyn. Thanks for being such a great host! The entire weekend with everyone was so much fun. We are looking forward to Christmas already!

Some Fun in the Kitchen

Who needs toys? Tupperware is much more fun. Especially with a sliding drawer involved!

Emma at 10 Months...

-Can drink from a sippy cup very well
-Loves her big sister
-Can walk assisted

-Has the bluest eyes
-Is a cuddle bug
-Can move the gate and climb the stairs
-LOVES ALL FINGER FOOD

-Is our happy baby
-Loves to dance and listen to music

-Destroys the playroom in minutes
-Opens drawers and pulls everything out

-Gets into everything and keeps us very busy
-Talks and shouts a lot (mama, dada, doe...)
-Can climb up on the couch using the stool

-Loves being outside, especially playing (eating) with sidewalk chalk

-The ball pit is her new favorite toy
-Sleeps with "Sleepy bear"
-Wears 9-12 Months, size 3 diapers

-Naps twice a day, sleeps about 12 hours a night
-Has a deep belly laugh
-Has curly hair like her sister

-Loves hiking in the backpack with Daddy

-Eats very little baby food...mac and cheese is her favorite solid

-Loves to feed Mama and Dada

-Her favorite place is under the kitchen table

-Loves her bath and can sit independently

-Gives kisses when asked

-Can clap and wave

Emma has really turned into a happy, playful child. It's hard to believe in two short months she'll be one. We love you sweetie.